Penn State Altoona vs. Liberty University

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or Liberty University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or Liberty University is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Penn State Altoona vs. Liberty University comparison
Penn State Altoona Liberty University College 3 College 4
Liberty University
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Overview

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Location Altoona, PA Lynchburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 96,709
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #852
Religious Affiliation - Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu liberty.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $21,374
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $21,374
Room & Board $12,984 $12,350
Avg Net Price $20,621 $29,913
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $12,471
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 98%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 30,943
Admitted 7,204 30,723
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 99.3%Open
Enrolled % 12.6% 19.9%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 21/29
SAT Range 1050/1250 1040/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (17%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • General Studies (14%)
  • Health Professions (6%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Graduation Rate 65% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $39,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,166
Median Loan Payment $277 $249

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
% Men 53% 41%
% Women 47% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 46%
% Black 7% 13%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 31%

Students

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
% In-State 59% 22%
% Out-of-State 35% 76%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Liberty University
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Liberty University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (96,709 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Liberty University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Liberty University?

  • Liberty University is 38.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($21,374.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21% higher at Penn State Altoona than Liberty University ($25,854.00 vs. $21,374.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Liberty University ($20,621 vs. $29,913)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Liberty University are 5.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,350 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Liberty University than Penn State Altoona (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Liberty University students is 30.3% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($12,471 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Liberty University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Altoona or Liberty University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Liberty University or Penn State Altoona .

  • The average SAT score at Liberty University (1070) is 77 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Liberty University students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Liberty University students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Liberty University has a higher acceptance rate (99.3%) than Penn State Altoona (95.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Liberty University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Liberty University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Liberty University and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Liberty University (65% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $16,200 more per year than Liberty University graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,100)
  • Liberty University students graduate with a $2,652 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,166 vs. $26,818)
  • Liberty University graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($249 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Liberty University students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 36%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/